Things Ive Done...

I copied this from my friend Nani. Its a very long list. Its kind of neat to see what our friends have done. Copy it, send it to me, make your own little notes here...

If it’s pink, I have…

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game (Go Mariners!)
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland (not yet...but it's a lifelong dream- ditto for me, Nani)
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie (well, a commercial...!)
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy - found it!
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge - actually, we drove across it.
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone - my tail bone, which is really no comparison I hear
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands - Im a ninja
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - Ill update this next year to include "killed"
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office -highschool LOL
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet What?
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Prepared a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. deleted this one... With good reason Im sure
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco - or perhaps been IN a disco dance?
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away - for one whole evening!
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz and polka.
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter (apparently this is a military discipline notice, so no, not I)

I love LOVE that God uses many ways to talk to us. To reach us and get us to understand. And He is so patient! He is so good to me :) I often find that He speaks to me directly, but when I wont listen or I dont talk to Him about it, He finds me at church. This is one of the ways that I know Im where I should be - that the sermon or topic applies specifically to the battle I am facing that week or month. I am so grateful for this. He has provided for every need, even before I know I need it!


I had what felt like the worst week last week. Thankfully, I had friends and sisters to let me cry out my problems and encourage me. My husband and I have had a period of bitterness in our marriage. Of being angry at our spouse and unable to reconcile it truly. Both of us were hurt and nobody wants to be the one to fix it. So it goes unsaid or unfinished and gets worse. That was were I was last week, among children, chores and everything else. Feeling alone and overwhelmed. And as I sat in my book study on Thursday, which is about being a Godly wife, of all things, I was still in that bitter place. And in a way, I was already digging my feet in, refusing to do what God was asking. Saturday, I cried my heart out before the Lord, and He said to me: Rejoice! Find joy in your husband like you find joy in me. I was so frustrated that I refused. It cant be the answer, can it? Sunday, the pastor spoke on our relationship with Christ from Ephesians 5. I have heard this passage before and I have heard before that our marriage with our spouse is a reflection of our relationship with God, but this time it was for me. Not just a symbolic reflection, but a literal reflection. Your marriage will flourish or fail according to how your relationship with Jesus is fairing. And mine? Not so hot. Yeah, I was there. And I was committed, but was I participating? Was I investing any time into my relationship with Christ? Not a whole lot. I wasnt loving Him like He loves me. And I wasnt loving my husband like Christ loves me either. One was a pretty good reflection of the other.



He asked me to love my husband. Really love him. No holding the past against him, no criticizing, no nagging. Jesus doesnt do that. He loves me whether I mess up or not. And I can love my husband that way too. I can start by how I talk to Him.

I asked God to help me put the work into my relationship with Christ. To place that desire there to really seek Him, spend time with Him, love Him. I want to know my Savior better. To fall in love again. And I want that for my earthly marriage also. My attitude is that first step.

I know that this is not going to be easy, but I know that Im not alone. I know that Im loved by the King and that He will be with me thru this, telling me how to love like He loves. I am going to be faithful and obey.

Keep praying for us!

Never ending summer

I have had the most idyllic and fun filled summer possible! I thought that I should take a moment to update a little, regroup if you will. This week has felt kind of like that. Im on the cusp between summer indulgence and early hibernation. Like sleep walking in fast-forward? Interesting analogy...

Well! So this summer has been crammed full. We have been fishing, camping, berry picking, gardening, bbqing.... It has been one fun thing after another. In June we went to the Highland games, which we plan on doing again. The majority of the month was full of starting a garden at our friends house and planting and we were very blessed with rain, although not enough sun, but things grew and somehow we did not have to travel quite as much to water. Most of the supplies to do the garden were donated also, so even better. If I dont get too lazy, we might actually get some stuff out of it!

July was busy... Fishing, fishing, fishing. But not with great results, which is a dissappointment, but it was fun and we spent a night at the beach. There was a new cousin born into the family! She is healthy and doing well. We also did some mushroom hunting and the kids really got into that. We had soccer games twice a week during July. Seems like we werent home much that month!

And August, which is nearly over, has been really nice. A good balance of sun and rain. Ive been saying it all summer, we will have an indian summer this fall! I really hope this nice weather just rolls right into September! We have picked wild strawberries till we cant stand it, had dinner with family a few times, and last weekend we went to the Alyeska Blueberry Festival, which included pulling a loose tooth and a pie eating contest! Im excited to see what September holds for us!

Now that we are slowing down, we are easing back into school work. We did NOT do school this summer. It just kinda worked out that way. We've had some field trips and some time to think about what we really want to accomplish this next year. Mostly, we want to ease up on the perfectionist, over achiever thing (okay, over achiever Mom, really) and make things more fun. To find the things they really enjoy and run with it if we want. Our oldest wants to be a chef, so we are including that as part of school this year. Nothing to intense.

Well, here's to summer! May winter wait until the last day of October to arrive!

A Challenge

I feel that the Lord has been challenging me lately to grow. To put my faith and His power to the test. To trust Him with things that I normally would try to bully thru or ignore completely. Its all well and good to say that we believe and we love God, but what if we never live like that? What if we go thru this life content with shallow admiration of His power but a sense (however tiny or false) of self sufficiency that ultimately cheats us (and those around us) out of what His power can really do in this world? Im here. This is where I am. I hope I dont lose it or abuse it or defy Him.

I have been asked twice now to do what He asks. I dont know the whole plan, but I trust that He will reveal it to me as needed and provide me with all the resources to accomplish the task, if I take that first step and just do it. Like Peter stepping out on the water to meet Christ. That first step is obedience.
What if our heroes from the bible never took that first step? What if they didnt believe what He asked of them or ignored it because they were afraid? It usually reaped heavy repercussions for them and everyone involved, all because they didnt try. Is that all He really asks? I dont know yet. But I know its the first step.

A few looks at people who took that first step:
Moses - coming before the pharoah took nerve he didnt have on his own. Would he have done it with out being asked? Definitely not!
David - A youth coming against a giant? Maybe in his dreams, but never without God telling him to do it and the simple belief that if he believed, anything was possible.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - A very colorful example of what is possible when we believe and obey what God asks of us.
Amazing things are possible when we are obedient!

A quote from my lesson plan this week:" These three (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) had confidence in their powerful God. They knew that their obedience presented God with the opportunity to work mighty things on their behalf, no matter how frightening the situation! When a frightening situation confronts us, there is only one thing to do: Obey the Lord. Then we can be confident He will work mighty things for us as well, even while we confront any trial life may present."

I have to take that last sentence seriously. Any trial life may present can be frightening, even if it is something as simple as God asking us to start looking at someone how He sees them. To stop believing what we see and what Satan tells us about them, and to allow God to mend our hearts and be open to the the mighty works His power can achieve when we obey. My first step here is to believe what He tells me. To allow Him to change my eyes and heart and mind. I think I can be obedient here.

Thank God that we can take this advice literally : "When a frightening situation confronts us, there is only one thing to do: Obey the Lord".

Pray for me as I practice doing what God asks in all situations. I have a direct line to the Master thru prayer, and He's given me an instruction manual!

Yay! Our moth has emerged!


I was getting kind of worried. It had been in there for over a month, and I was told there was a REALLY good chance it was a parasitic wasp. Meaning, that the caterpillar had a parasitic egg laid on it and when it went into metamorphosis (cuccoon) then the wasp would take over and grow and use the caterpillar for food during this process. Still a really important part of the bug cycle, but kind of creepy and dissapointing. But it was not! It was a MOTH!

The moth (and caterpillar) is a Ruby Tiger Moth. I had never seen one, so this was really special. It was in the container Saturday, just a day or two after the last time I checked. We missed it coming out, but we were able to enjoy it a little since it didnt hardly move until dusk set in. It is, of course, a moth, so it flew away at night. Really cool.

Here are some pics of our little friend:

















In reality, it was a magenta color. A real red. Not this rusty brown.
You can look this species up at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltese_Ruby_Tiger_Moth. The description is for a variation of this, but the picture is good. Or here for a really good pic: http://wordpress.com/tag/ruby-tiger-moth/feed/


Im definitely going to do this again. But this time, we build the cage first! Cant wait for fall so the kids and I can go looking for a new caterpillar.

I love this picture. I wish I could spend my day like this.

This was taken from amethyste at http://amethyste.deviantart.com/

I wish she would put it up for sale!

A craft fair is a torturous and self deprecating event. You spend all your time making mulitples of a handy little item, know that there HAVE to be people who cant live without this one thing. You set up your tables of wares in the cold weather. You sit complacently with a smile on your face, waiting for someone to stop at your booth. You keep smiling when they walk past, but start to grumble and complain silently. You're freezing, you have to pee and it seems everyone around you is selling but not you! End of day 1. Rinse, repeat.

Who are these people who actually make money at this?! What kind of lives do they lead? They must be retired to have so much free time to work on these things. And their children are grown. There can be no other answer. There were some really impressive, beautiful items for sale.

I will NOT be doing another "craft fair". I will go to them, but not work them. I missed out on enjoying lots of kid things and doing some holiday shopping because I was stuck in a booth. I enjoyed the music immensly, but would have enjoyed it more if it had been shared with my family. I did, however, get to visit with all my important friends and family, because they all came out to support me! That was really the highlight of it for me.

So for my future ventures into business, I will be working towards attending the fiber arts festival next March. Look for my hand printed fabrics there. And if you want anything sewn between now and then, email me.


Maybe I will do a booth next year. Like this one:





















Im bound to do better.